Up in Flames
by lindir's gaze
Summary: What starts out as an innocent trip on a boat develops into the discovery of a secret that nobody expected... Can a group of 5 tweenagers stop the threat of an oncoming war? Pre-TP. Rated K because I'm reckless.
1. And the Goddesses Heard Her Prayer

**Up in Flames**

**Hi! Thanks for taking the time to look at this story. This is my first fanfic, so be as cruel as you need to be in your constructive criticism (constructive being the operative word here). Anything I can do to make my story more engaging? Tell me in your review. Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, if I did, Ghirahim would not even exist.**

**Chapter 1: And the Goddesses Heard Her Prayer**

I am Kazuka Dashuri, and I am probably one of the most unfortunate people in the world.  
>I contemplated this as I used the sharp rock to cut a branch off the pine tree. It was a very sympathy inspiring sentence, but who would it inspire sympathy from but myself? I paused to massage my bleeding hand again, cursing the fact that the sharp rock happened to be sharp all the way around; I couldn't hold it without rubbing my hand whenever I used it. This resulted in several painful, bleeding blisters. I thought once again of what my life could have been like if it wasn't for fire...<br>From what the orphanage director told me before I was kicked out, my former village, Mondshein, had been burnt down by some unknown cause. I was only three at the time. I'd been found on a patch of untouched carpet in a sea of ash, clutching a box that contained papers and letters that later identified me as Kazuka Dashuri, daughter of Atsuko and Isamu Dashuri. My father had been the governor of the town, until disaster struck. All the residents must have been burned in their sleep, because nobody made it out. If they had, they would have been here by now to get me out of my sorry excuse for a life.  
>But back to what I said before: kicked out? How bad of a kid was I? Not that bad, in fact, I was a very good kid. My banishment from civilization was caused by something that even I couldn't explain. This is my story.<br>One cold December afternoon, I'd come in shivering from playing with the other children in the snow. I'd dropped to my knees with fatigue and cold, oh so bitter cold and crawled toward the fire, extremely grateful for the heat.

When I woke up, I was vaguely aware of screaming in the distance. However, I was too busy noticing that I was lying on top of warm coals, the flames curling around me like a hot blanket. Frantically, I searched my olive skin. Same shore-tanned tone, no burns. I couldn't feel any pain. Then I became aware of broom bristles on my arm. I looked up to see one of the orphanage maids, prodding me with a broom and screaming for help, fear in her eyes. Nobody had ever looked at me that way.

I bolted out of the building that had been as close I could get to a home for the past five years and stood out on the street, ankle deep in frosty snow, utterly bewildered. But I found myself turning to run as one of the neighboring men stepped out of his house, fishing harpoon in hand. I heard yells of "Fire-Witch! Fire-Witch!" as more people stepped out of their houses. Were they talking about me? I ran for the woods, feeling confused and frightened. I hadn't meant to do… what did I do exactly?

The question still haunts me.

My first few homeless nights were spent in the upper branches of a pine tree, being scratched by needles and frozen by snow in the woods that separated the village from the ocean. On the second night, I was driven down from my perch by hunger and cold. Maybe all of this was just a joke. Certainly the villagers were playing a prank, or this was just a dream, and I would wake up in the orphanage bed.

I crept towards the nearest house and rapped timidly on the door. A woman opened it, spilling welcoming golden light onto my shivering, emaciated frame. I had been a scrawny kid to begin with, but two days without food had taken its toll. Her expression was one of motherly greeting, but when her eyes set upon my face, she let out a scream that tore through my heart and scurried from the doorstep, leaving the door agape. For a moment, I stood hunched over, my brain slowed by cold and hunger. Why did she scream? I saw her coming with a bucket, full to the brim and sloshing everywhere…

Freezing water was thrown onto my facing, jerking me from my daze and sending me scrambling head over heels away from the door, too surprised and hurt to even cry out, the yells of disgust and denial echoing through the merciless night. Far behind me, I could hear them calling. "Never come back! Never come..."

I shook myself from my thoughts of the past and returned to the task at hand. I need a house, I thought to myself as the branch I'd been cutting fell to the ground. It had been too long, sleeping on the ground, exposed to the rain.  
>I continued to cut the branches and drag them in a pile near a clearing. It was fortunate that the pine branches were exactly the right width for my little project. Living in a pine forest on the coastline sure had advantages. Well, other than the 'living in the forest' part.<br>Night descended, as always, like a wooly blanket on a sleepy child. I really wished I could have had a blanket on that cold, snowless winter night. As I entered the tailor's house, I considered stealing one, but I got a sick, tight feeling in my stomach at the thought and decided against it, going straight to taking one spool of twine. It wouldn't be missed because the tailor, like everybody else in the town, had everything he or she needed. I crept back out into the freezing air, hunger and cold pulling me down like a hundred hands, inviting me to lie down and never wake up. Before I headed back into the woods, I grabbed some bruised oranges. I was grateful for food at all, but I was still hungry, so hungry.

Orange and gold striped the sky that morning as I stretched, stiff from sleeping on the ground. Again. It was time to get to work. I used the twine to string together the branches I'd found until I had a wall roughly four feet wide and four feet tall. The first wall of my new house. Fatigue pulled at my small frame like lead ropes. How could I make another one of these? I barely had enough twine left to stretch the length of my forearm, and I doubted the tailor wouldn't miss another spool. The thought of cutting more branches made my hands sting. Hunger wasn't helping my thoughts, so I ate some leftover stale bread from yesterday and decided to improvise, not noticing the swirling clouds up above.

The rain was filling up the holes I had dug with my makeshift shovel. My digging rock was cutting into my hand as the wretched rain cut into my back. I sighed and brushed my soaking hair out of my face. Keep going, I told myself. After you're done, never another night in the rain, in the wind. Never again. The rhythm of the rain and my rock scraping against the dirt lulled me into a stupor. One, two, three digs. Three years with my parents. Four, five. Five years in the orphanage, and I was twelve. That meant...

Four years. I wasn't sure how to measure that in months, weeks, or days since orphanage children didn't get an education, but I knew it was a long time. Four years spent in the forest, scrounging what food I could from the trash heap on the outskirts of the village, constantly pacing the hard, cold ground to keep from freezing in the winter, constantly terrified of suddenly collapsing and not getting up again. Summers were spent watching longingly from a distance as the village population basked in the calming ocean tides, the children screaming in delight at each crashing wave.

It took me three years to find the secluded lake where I spent my free time praying to the golden goddesses that I may survive another day.

Satisfied but so exhausted and cold that my limbs shook uncontrollably, I placed the ends of my wall into the holes and leaned the other end on the nearby boulder. My new home, so close to being completed.

Grateful for relief from the pounding rain, I crawled into my shelter where the rain was considerably lessened but drips here and there splashed onto my skin. I should really fill in the cracks. I'll do it tomorrow. I should really lie dow...

"Time to wake up sweetie..."

I opened my eyes a crack and shut them again to block the blinding sunlight shining through the window.

"Time to get up..."

Squinting against the light, I squinted to see a lovely woman leaning over me, wavy dark hair tumbling over her shoulders, a loving smile glowing on her face. I closed my eyes as the light became too bright to bear, and suddenly snapped awake, sitting up so fast that I banged my head on rough wood.  
>I cleared my head. I was still in my house, white and golden sunlight streaming through the cracks I had yet to fix. Wiping a leftover of last night's rain from my face, I sighed. It was a dream, I told myself. Just a dream.<br>At the trash heap, I dug out some soiled rags and two sheets that had apparently been torn slightly by something, maybe a cat. Nothing I couldn't work with. I used the rags to fill in the cracks and the sheets to act as "doors" to either side of my house. Stepping back to admire my work, I couldn't help but smile.  
>My home.<br>The rest of the day was spent mostly lazing around, the only day in my entire life I remember doing nothing. Even lunch was the best I'd had. From a safe spot behind a tree, I watched the baker's son and two of his friends dump a few dark colored lumps into the trash heap. As soon as they were out of sight I dashed towards the treasure. Four burnt loaves of bread! The crust was irreparable, but that didn't matter. I ripped one open. The inside was still steaming, and fresh. I ripped a chunk off and took a big bite, letting out a groan of satisfaction, my stomach howling for more.  
>"Hey, did you hear something?"<br>Chills darted up my spine. I froze. The boys from the bakery were still here!  
>"Probably some animal."<br>Quietly, carefully, I scooped up the other loaves and started creeping out of the clearing.  
>"Let's go check it out."<br>They'd spot me in a few minutes. I darted around the trash heap and into the woods. Only a few yards in, I heard footsteps and shouts. The chase was on. Those boys definitely had longer and faster legs than me, but I had an advantage now, having explored the woods and learned its paths, and how to get through quickly and leave others confused and left behind.

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

Why were they shouting at me? I was already running; did they think I would slow down at the sound of their voices? There was no changing the situation: they were the predators and I was the prey.

I risked a glance behind me and tripped over a root. Reflexes took over and I did a somersault and kept running, but I could feel my arms one loaf of bread lighter. In the distance, my house. Behind me, the pounding of feet stopped as one of the boys bent to pick up my lost bread, giving up the chase.

"Thief!" he shouted into the tangled woods, but I was already diving into my shelter, soft sobs of relief muffled by a mouthful of bread.

Was it still stolen if nobody else wanted it?

After a delicious meal of bread, I laid down for the night, content in the stomach, but my solitude slowly crushed me. The encounter with the boys had reminded me what it was like to be near another human being. I yearned for a friend, of at least somebody who didn't scream and run at my presence. Someone who would listen to my thoughts and troubles. I wanted someone who cared.

Crying had never gained me anything in life, even in the orphanage, but I allowed myself one tear and drifted off to sleep.

"I think this is where she ran off to."

"What's this girl doing living in the forest?"

Half asleep, I groaned at the disturbance. It had to be another dream.

"I think it made a noise."

Oh, no really? What kind of stupid people...

My eyes snapped open. Oh, goddesses, the boys from yesterday! Night pressed against my eyes like a blindfold. Maybe, by the cover of darkness, I could sneak out...  
>"Wasn't there some story about a Fire-Witch or something that lived in the forest?"<br>"Pssht, that's just a story to scare little kids."

I heard a chtt noise, like someone striking a match.

"Lesse if it is this 'Fire-Witch'."

Oh no.  
>One corner of my house glowed orange and was lit ablaze. I pressed against the boulder behind me, sounds of terror welling up in my throat. Should I try to escape? Would they grab me?<p>

As though Farore were mocking my situation, a great gust of wind spread the flame quickly, and soon my whole lean-to was on fire. The greasy rags exploded in a shower of red hot sparks, peppering my skin with fire. I let out a wail of despair and shot through the flaming sheets, only pausing a moment to gaze upon the frightened expressions of the two boys who had ruined my home.

"It is the Fire-Witch!" one of them yelped and bounded out of sight, his companion following suit.  
>They followed me. They know where I live, what I am, and they will get the entire village to hunt me. Tears boiled in my eyes so that I could barely see, but I didn't need to. Letting instinct take over, I dashed through the dark, twisted trees toward the lake and dove in, submerging myself in the icy grip of the water before surfacing and checking myself for burns. There was nothing on my arms, nor anything anywhere else. In fact, as I checked my clothes, they showed no evidence of the fire, even though I'd seen sparks land on me.<br>Too tired to care, I dragged myself to the bank and shivered uncontrollably, my entire body a quaking mass of cold.

Bright, blue, shimmering light. I woke up and realized I couldn't breathe. Kicking around, I burst through the surface of the lake, choking and gasping for air. Blinking water away, I looked around and the sight almost took away what little breath I had. The six foot sandy banks of the lake were now flooded in water, which was glowing bright blue.

Magic had long since declined from Hyrule, but that wasn't to say nobody knew even the most simple of spells. This had to be some kind of magic, but why? A fearful thought gripped my chest like a vice. The villagers have found me. They're going to drive me out of the lake and kill me.

A head popped out of the water next to me. I tried to gasp, but ended up inhaling water and choking instead.

"Hey!" said a friendly female voice. "Need help?"

Too shocked to respond, I felt myself being dragged out of the water. Once I had my bearings, I gazed at the figure before me. She was a few inches taller than me, and her wavy blond hair was bouncing in the breeze, as though she had never been in the water at all. She wore a simple blue v-neck sleeveless top and a knee length skirt of a slightly lighter color.

She flashed me a welcoming smile. " Hi! I'm Megumi."

"...Hi," I managed, and then became uncomfortably aware of my matted brown hair, my stained and torn worker's shirt that was at least six sizes too big, and my equally as baggy pants that I'd tied to my waist with a bit of rope. Compared to her, I felt like a peasant, no less than a peasant.

She beckoned to me, her expression still friendly, and my doubts were waved away. I could trust her. I knew it. "Follow me. I think you can help me with something."  
>She wanted my help? Like I was good for anything.<br>She led me around the lake, and behind a tall cluster of reeds stood a circular hut made of straw, wood, and mud. Next to it was a small fire pit and inside were two beds, a wood cabinet, and a dresser.  
>Megumi turned to me. "This is my home, but as you can see there are two beds, and I wouldn't want a nice piece of furniture to go to waste. Do you need a bed?"<p>

"I-" was all I could manage. The weight of losing my home and then the strange events that followed were finally catching up to me and weighing down my shoulders, crushing the air out of me in one big, long sigh. I didn't even notice how convenient it was that she knew I had lost my home.

"I don't think the bed will fit through the door, though," Megumi continued. "But I think there's room enough for two."

I knew my answer then. "Yes."

She nodded with a smile. "But if we're going to be roommates, at least tell me your name."

"Kazuka."

Megumi gestured around the room. "Your clothes are in the top drawer and food's in the cabinet. Help yourself to anything."

This was all too good to be true, but I let her fix my hair and give me a new dress. I remembered some words from a story I'd heard during my days in the orphanage. "It was the start of a beautiful friendship." I guess that could apply to Megumi and I. Maybe I could settle down with her and live a peaceful life without having to hide and run.

For dinner that night, Megumi prepared vegetable soup. She struck a match to light the fire, and I flinched, remembering the night before. Peaceful life? That may never happen.


	2. More Prayers Being Heard

**Up in Flames**

**And the next chapter is up! *pants*. And finally a canon character :D What's that? When will I update again? *laughs maniacally* WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda, if i did, you would only have to battle the Imprisoned ONCE. (Did you know you can jump on its head to drive the spike in instead of cutting off the toes?)**

**Chapter 2: More Prayers Being Heard**

Late afternoon of the two week anniversary of Megumi's arrival, the beach was littered with footprints. Out bare feet padded back and forth across the stretch of golden sand as we walked, side by side, not talking, only appreciating the beauty of solitude.

Midway through our fifth time walking the stretch of the beach, Megumi signaled for me to stop. I followed her gaze outward, to farther down the beach. A few yards away, silhouetted against the dying sunlight, two figures were heading our way. I instinctively felt exposed and glanced around for a place to hide, but then realized they were foreigners. I let out a small sigh of relief. Hopefully, they didn't know who, or what, I was.

The first of the two, a young teenage girl with cropped, blonde hair and catlike green eyes, was bossily talking to her companion, a middle aged, balding man, who was jotting down notes frantically into his notepad.

"...and remember, the ship has to be ready for _tomorrow_, or else nobody will come, since tomorrow's the start of the harvesting season, and after that everybody's busy as..."

The girl trailed off as the caught sight of us. She curled her lip.

f"What are you doing on my beach?"

I felt a little jolt inside of me, something that might have been anger. "Excuse me?" I snapped, "I don't know _who_ you think you are, but this is _not_ your beach." Megumi gave me a sideways glance, startled by my outburst.

Smirking, the girl gave a dismissive wave. "Well, it _will_ be mine, come tomorrow. Father's going to buy it and toll the fishermen to use it. Maybe that will give him enough money to buy me a new set of fur coats.

And as for who I am? I suppose country girls like you wouldn't know, seeing as I'm not from around here." She gave a quick, disgusted glance around her at the beautiful, sun touched ocean and the forest. "I suppose you small town folk don't get around much. Anyways, I'm Dempsie Nathair, daughter of Head Governer Nathair, soon to be owner of this beach.

"What kind of sick..." I growled.

Dempsie continued as though she hadn't heard my angry comment. "I'm inviting my hometown Ordon and..." she paused to consider, "I guess I could invite- what's it called? Loony Town? Anyway, I guess I could invite that town over there," she waved in the direction of Lulelia, "seeing as they are, or were, the owners of this beach."

This girl was obviously not that intelligent. How could she make fun of me for being "small town folk" when she grew up in a "small town"? Ordon must be a horrible place, if they raise people to be like that.

"... the main dining room will have six Goron crafted chandeliers," Dempsie was bragging. She suddenly glared at us as though we were eavesdropping. "But why am I telling this to you two... commoners."

I felt an angry jerk in my stomach. "I wouldn't be so smug!" I exploded, tugging my hand away as Megumi tried to grab my wrist in warning. "Your ship doesn't sound so great! In fact, compared to mine, it'll look like a... a... drifter!"

As I let that statement hang in the air, I saw Megumi's silent glare of surprise and indignation out of the corner of my eye. Finally, Dempsie broke the silence. "Well, that's new. I had no idea peasants were allowed to own ships," her eyebrows arched in amusement. "But apparently, you're an exception. I hope you don't mind showing your ship at my sendoff party. ...I didn't think so," she continued without missing a beat as I stood silent, the weight of my outburst slowly sinking in. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, she continued walking, making sure to knock her shoulder sharply into mine as she passed, the balding man hurrying to follow.

When they were out of earshot, Megumi rounded on me. "What were you thinking?!" she scolded. "I know for a fact that you don't have a ship and..." she sighed. "Oh, Kazuka!"

My shoulders slumped. "What am I going to do?"

"Just don't go. I doubt she took you seriously, and it probably won't make a difference if you don't show up," she advised kindly. "Come on, let's go home."

"Let's," I smiled, ever grateful for my faithful friend.

"Just pray that you won't get caught up in this silly little lie," Megumi sighed.

So I prayed.

It all happened so fast.

As we trekked through the woods, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as my pointed ears picked up a crackling. I grabbed Megumi's arm, adrenaline suddenly racing through my veins.

"Oh goddesses, oh goddesses," I gasped in panic.

She turned to me, concerned. "What is it?"

I could only break into a run, pulling her after me as the sound of flames escalated into a roar. Behind me, I could feel the heat and see flames on my peripheral.

_Fire! Fire! I have to get out of here!_

Megumi, being bigger and more athletic, began to take the lead, so I let go of her arm.

"Megumi! Wait!" I cried as the distance between us became a few yards. Before she had a chance to turn around, a burning tree crashed down between us, and I found myself alone and even worse, surrounded by fire. My heart felt like it was trying to jump out of my chest. Blood rushed though my ears as I turned this way and that, searching for an escape.

"Megumi! Megumi!" I screamed, terrified. In response, I heard a terrified wail, coming from my left.

Through the jagged flames, I saw the distant outline of a figure, slightly crouching. Before I had time to reconsider, I took a running jump and hurtled over some burning bushes. I grabbed figure's shoulder, and stared into an unfamiliar face. Her brown eyes were frozen in distress.

All I could think of was to help this girl, and get us both to safety. "Come on," I said, pulling her to her feet and pulling her after me as we tore through the flaming brush and out of the woods... and right into the lake.

We resurfaced, coughing and shivering in the cold water barely touched by spring's warmth.

I felt strong hands on my arm and the next thing I knew Megumi was pulling me out of the water, gasping, "OhgoddessesKazukaIwassoworri edIthoughtyouwererightbehind meandIhadnoideabythewaywhois this?" She stared at the strange brown eyed girl, who was pulling herself out of the lake.

"I am Akane," the girl spoke, her voice level and her eyes distant. "Thank you for saving me," she turned to me, her brown eyes grateful.

"You're welcome... it was nothing," I smiled humbly at her. For some reason, I felt protective of her. "Your parents must be worried. We should take you home."

"I don't have parents. Or a home."

"Oh..." Well, I could definitely relate to her with that. "You can come stay with us. Right Megumi...?"

I trailed off as I looked at my friend, who was staring hard at the girl. "Uh, Megumi?"

"One night," she replied without taking her eyes off Akane. "She can use the cot."

"That would be nice," Akane consented before I could reprimand Megumi for being so rude.

I shrugged in defeat, not wanting to go against her wishes, and we all walked back to the house, leaving behind the wreckage of the burnt forest.

"Kazuka, wake up! Wake up, we have to go!"

I opened my eyes a slit and groggily observed Megumi as she shook my arm.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled and rolled over.

"We have to go NOW!" she jerked my sheets off, successfully pulling me off the bed.

"OW! Okay, okay I'm up!" I said grouchily, standing up. "Is the house flooding? What's so urgent?" I noticed Akane standing by the door, barely concealing an amused smile at the scene.

Megumi placed my sheets back on the bed, not meeting my angry gaze, and said, "We have to go to the beach. I lost my necklace when we were walking yesterday."

"Why is that so urgent?" I complained, still half asleep, but both girls were already out the door.

My only choice was to follow.

At the beach, Megumi was surveying the area with sharp eyes. "I don't see it."

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "Hey, why is there a crowd?"

She ignored me. "I might've taken it off once we got home. Yeah, I think that's it."

I recognized a lot of Lulelians in the crowd, but there were many strangers in the mix too. A few meters from shore was the most beautiful ship I had ever seen. It was made of a deep brown wood, probably mahogany, and the light blue sails shone with confidence in the sun. I wondered what such an expensive ship was doing at a small town like Lulelia.

Dempsey's send off party. The strangers were Ordonians. That was her ship.

"Um," I said to Akane and Megumi, who were gawking at the ship, "I think we should go now..."

"_There you are_!" exclaimed a voice.

I turned to see Dempsey striding forward, grinning with perfect white teeth even though her eyes were cold. Her exclamation had caused many people to turn toward us. I felt my ears turn red.

She stopped a couple of feet away and spoke softly. "I didn't actually expect you to turn up. Do you actually own a ship? Well, it better arrive soon, because the ceremony is about to start, and I want to make a good impression."

"Can you believe her?" Akane hissed as Dempsey walked away, head held high.

I shrugged. A lot of things I'd seen were not believable.

"Okay, everybody. Sorry for the interruption." Dempsey glanced sharply in my direction as though I was responsible for the delay. All conversation stopped as the crowd turned toward her.

"Now, you may be wondering why I've gathered you all here today. And I would like to reveal that this is a celebration in honor of a passage. Today, the ownership of this beach will be passed from the villagers," she paused to let her words soak in, "to me."

Murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd.

"But don't worry folks!" Dempsey help up her hands in a calming gesture. "The people who need to use the beach will be able to use it... with a fee."

The murmurs turned into an angry buzz not unlike the beehive I'd unfortunately stumbled upon when I was nine.

"How much?" someone called from the crowd.

Dempsey smiled another stunning smile, but a more appropriate description might have been akin to the description of a cat's smile after it's caught a mouse between its paws. Selfish victory.

"Hmmm..." Dempsey tapped her chin. "I'd say... about ten rupees. Per person, regardless of age."

Now the crowd roared with anger. Ten rupees was enough to buy a week's worth of food! Not to mention she was charging the fishermen to make a living! How _dare_ she do this!

I'm pretty sure a fight would have broken out had a ship not suddenly docked next to Dempsey's. How had it not been noticed? It should have been noticed right away, due to it's enormous size. In fact, it made Dempsey's previously glorious ship look like a common fishing smack. I suddenly understood. The goddesses, answering my prayers, had summoned a ship!

As if I deserved such a beauty. It contrasted nicely with Dempsey's ship with its light colored wood and creamy sails. Diamond-shaped portholes lined the hull. It stood proud and tall, gleaming in the sunlight.

Dempsey's eyes also gleamed, but in jealousy. I felt a smug smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Who's the rich one now?

I walked hesitantly onto the jetty nearby my ship. A walkway used for loading passengers and cargo thumped down at my feet, but when I looked up, nobody was there.

Dempsey seemed to be having the same thoughts. "Where's your crew?" she called to me. Her voice was cool, but an edge of anger could be detected, like a knife wrapped in a bundle of cloth.

_What kind of question is that?_ I wondered. Even people who don't own ships should know that every ship needs a crew to sail. But I was rather perplexed myself. Where was the crew?

"They're, ah, below deck," I replied. It was the only possible explanation.

Dempsey nodded, clearly unhappy with my explanation. I was too, and intended to investigate once my ship set sail. If it did at all.

"Well, you better get your crew and set sail," Dempsey said, and turned to her boat, where her crew was already setting up the ship for its voyage.

The crowd of Ordonians and Lulelians had returned to their chatter, probably about the atrocious fee being charged to the fishermen. As I was about to step onto my ship, Akane put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and noticed two boys from the crowd walking toward us. They were about my age, but taller.

My stomach lurched like it does when I miss a step down the stairs, and I realized I had no idea what I was going to say to these boys, and that really mattered because I wanted to impress them. _What am I thinking?_ I thought. That's crazy!

Fortunately, I didn't have to start the conversation because the taller of the two gave a big smile and held his hand out when he reached me. "Hi, I'm Duke."

I smiled shyly and shook his hand. He was very tall and broad shouldered and had short brown hair and warm brown eyes that reminded me of chocolate. Megumi poked me in the back.

"Ah! Um, hi... I'm Kazuka," I managed.

"I'm Akane."

"I'm Megumi."

He shook their hands.

"This is my friend Link," Duke introduced his blonde companion, who blinked his blue-gray eyes once and raised his hand in greeting. I guess he didn't talk much.

Duke turned back to me. "We were wondering if you would let us come with you on your ship. I would explain why now, but I don't think it's a good idea with so many eyes and ears around..." he glanced at the crowd of people nearby.

"Okay, you can tell us once we're on the ship," I replied, beginning to feel excited. I had no idea where I was going with this whole ship business, but these boys had possibly given me a purpose. Not to mention they seemed really, really nice.

Dempsey's ship had begun to set sail. When the crowd saw this, some began to disband, heading back to their homes, most muttering angrily.

"I guess we better set sail," I said brightly.

When I stepped onto the ship, I nearly tripped over... something.

"What in Hyrule...?" I muttered. I hadn't been expecting this... this changed everything.

**So next chapter they will be boarding the ship; if you want an OC to be a passenger on the ship (SPOILER ALERT) then just PM/ review the OC's name, what they look like, personality, ect.**

**Later! **

**Melissa 3**


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